The Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will on Monday, July 16, 2007 begin hearing, of the case filed on behalf of a “disappeared” Gambian journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh, reporter of the pro-government Banjul-based “Daily Observer” newspaper.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) filed a legal suit for the sub-regional court to compel the government of President Yahya Jammeh to immediately release Manneh.
The court earlier on fixed July 10, but later postponed it.
Colleagues of Manneh witnessed his arrest by two plain-clothed personnel of the notorious political police, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), at the “Daily Observer’s” premises on July 11, 2006.
But the government and police claim they do not know the whereabouts of Manneh. Simply he is “disappeared”.
The Gambian government has blatantly refused several requests from human rights groups to either release or charge Manneh if he has committed any offence.
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